Ontario NDP releases 2022 election platform with key promises for health care, affordability

Ontario NDP releases 2022 election platform with key promises for health care, affordability

Ahead of the 2022 Ontario general election, New Democratic Party (NDP) has released its platform for the election campaign, with health-care and affordability commitments as key promises.

Ontario NDP-led by Andrea Horwath released its platform, days ahead of the expected official start of the provincial election campaign.

The key promises include the end of exclusionary zoning, bringing back rent control, and creating a portable housing benefit.

It also promised that it will start working on the universal pharmacare for Ontario, instead of waiting for the federal plan. NDP also promised that it will strengthen and accelerate the expansion of dental care.

Meanwhile, the Ontario NDP also stated that it will hire 10,000 personal support workers and even give them a raise besides hiring 30,000 nurses. It will expedite the recognition of nursing credentials of 15,000 internationally trained nurses, NDP promised. It will also scrap Bill 124 which limits an increase in public sector compensation, it added.

The other key promises include:

– Hiring of 300 doctors in northern Ontario, including 100 specialists, 40 mental health practitioners; funding of travel accommodations for medical residents in rural and northern communities; creating more residency rotation positions in an order to help retain doctors in the north.

– Ending the health-care user fees, like doctors’ notes.

– Creating a mixed-member proportional voting system

– Freezing taxes for low and middle-income families.

– Holding a public inquiry into the Covid response.

– Establishment of provincial standards for home and community care services besides establishing a caregiver benefits program in an order to provide $400 per month to informal caregivers who fail to qualify for existing federal tax credits or respite care.

– Building new public and non-profit homes and community care and long-term care system besides 50,000 new and modern beds.

– Increasing minimum wage to $20 in 2026, with a $1-per-hour raise annually; approving 10 permanent personal emergency leave days.

– Implementing a four-day work-week pilot project.

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